Big BandMosaic Select: Dave Liebman & Richie Beirach (MS-012)
Mosaic Select
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"On the more subtle musical level, Richie and I constantly “chased” each other around harmonically; myself sounding notes outside the stated harmony while Richie colored or instigated supportive chords." -Dave Liebman, liner notes |
Saxophonist David Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach were among the brightest musicians to emerge in the ‘70s. They were among the first generation of musicians to be profoundly influenced by the music of the Coltrane quartet and the Miles Davis quintet as well as musical influences outside jazz (Indian, classical, R & B etc).
Their creative life together falls into three chapters, each of which is represented by a CD of live and previously unissued music on this set. In the ‘70s, their eclectic group Lookout Farm with Frank Tusa and Jeff Williams made its debut on ECM Records in 1973. The six extended pieces on this set come from San Francisco’s Keystone Korner in 1976.
The chemistry between Liebman and Beirach ran so deep that duet performances were a natural outgrowth of Lookout Farm. These duos, four of which are contained here from 1976 and 1990, were fascinating musical dialogues in the language of modern jazz that both men love and share.
The last chapter of this collaboration is Quest, a quartet with Ron McClure and Billy Hart that spanned 1982 to ’91. This group wasted little time building up steam and deliver one brilliant, intense piece after another. They tackled challenging compositions and the improvisations and interaction were of the highest order. The five masterpieces here are from 1988 and 1991.
The ‘70s and ‘80s were a confusing time for jazz and artists like Liebman and Beirach, as busy and prolific as they are, stand the chance of being overlooked when the history books are written. Hopefully the superb music on this set will help change that.
Read More About Dave Liebman:
Track Listing, Personnel & Recording Dates »
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Fantastic Performances |
| First of all, kudos to Mosaic for acknowledging how important the partnership of Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach is, and for selecting music which is representative of that partnership. The performances are excellent, of course, but I have to take a star off for sound quality (pretty much unavoidable, as these live recordings were never intended for release). Also, I'm not a huge fan of Quest. I find them willfully obscure and dissonant, sometimes to the point of unpleasantness (and I love dissonance)! Much is made of Beirach's harmonic sophistication, but the real revelation here is how sharp his rhythmic playing his, particularly on disc 1. Contrary to what other reviewers have said, Beirach and Liebman are recognizable within seconds of listening, even at the outset of their careers, unique in their musical approach, rather than slavishly imitative. Personally, I think a great box set for Mosaic would be Lookout Farm's entire recorded output (which would include Frank Tusa's record, Father Time, which is Lookout Farm in all but name). Another great box set would be the studio performances of Liebman and Beirach as a duet, particularly the lost classic "Forgotten Fantasies," which has not been reissued yet. | |
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I must have bought a different set..... |
| Why are people KNOCKING this? All 3 discs have something to offer...I especially like #2...Four long songs which takes the listener on a seemingly never ending journey... | |
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fusion snobs lighten up disc 2 and 3 are killer jazz |
| to dismiss this set because of the fusion disc1 is a gross mistake disc two is duo fantastic disc 3 is quest at its post bop best .disc 1 isnt exactly kenny g or four play either it relavent jazz with splash of rock energy .quit damning fusion it shows your lack of comprehension of great music dont miss it. | |
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Please give us more!!!! |
| In the liner notes, Liebman admits that there's 40+ hours of unreleased live material. I hope that this is the start of something larger. Mosaic could easily chronicle a larger set (6-8 discs possibly); if the feedback/sales of this set are good, please consider another set. I enjoyed this set immensely and hope to hear more in the future. Mosaic has done it again. Keep it up!!!! | |
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A Major Rediscovery |
| Richard Beirach is one of the most underrated and original pianists in jazz; it doesn't help that his best work, with the John Abercrombie Quartet on the ECM label, was never released on CD domestically. He's one of the very best of Bill Evans' heirs, and infinitely more interesting than the two players usually accorded that distinction, Andy LaVerne and Warren Bernhardt. He's a very muscular player, informed by 20th century classical and contemporary composition as well as jazz, and his recordings with Stan Getz -- mostly on small European labels -- are excellent. Leibman is a sax player who was in Miles' band circa On the Corner, and a highly prolific member of the NY loft-jazz scene in the '70s and beyond. Frankly, I've never loved Liebman's playing; it strikes me as a bit hollow and histrionic, though it's certainly energetic; but he and Beirach -- in many duo recordings, in a group called Lookout Farm, and in their more recent quartet, Quest -- have a deep thing together. While Beirach's diamond-edged playing shines on the one trio recording of his that has been widely available,"Eon" (boasting one of the very best recordings of Miles' "Nardis," out of dozens) his Fender Rhodes playing has been virtually forgotten, which is too bad, because he's one of the best jazz players who ever touched that instrument; a much more effective player in that regard than Evans himself. The first of the three CDs features Beirach's Rhodes playing, and it's a major rediscovery of a lost chapter of fusion. Tunes like "The Iguana's Ritual" (first featured on another ECM collector's-item disc, Liebman's "Drum Ode") could have been recorded by one of the early groups that spun off of "Bitches Brew"; Liebman and Beirach are definitely under the spell of Miles on the first disc here, and it kicks major ass. Beirach's signature tune is called "Elm," and he has recorded it maybe six times, but the epic version of the third disc is undoubtedly the best. Another rediscovery on this set is the astonishing bassist Frank Tusa, who was a major force on "Eon," but is virtually unknown outside of that one hard-to-get recording. He's a monster. I'm still not in love with Liebman's brittle lines, but this set, compiled from live recordings over a couple of decades, is another masterpiece from Beirach, who deserves a much wider audience. | |
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Pass on this one |
| I generally buy Mosaic sets on trust and I will probably continue to do so (given how great these sets almost always are) -- that said, this was the first time that taking a risk on Mosaic didn't pay off. (I have over 50 Mosaic sets and I have never regretted a single purchase - until now). This set might make a great gift for rock fans but it was a big disappointment for me. | |
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Great Music |
| A wonderful set with a different lineup for each disc, with Liebman and Beirach the constants. I was not very familiar with either Liebman or Beirach, and was delighted with the modern, post Coltrane, modal mainstream music. | |
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A new perspective |
| Great to hear so much previously unavailable music by two such talented players...a new and welcome direction for the Mosaic Select format. Perhaps we could hear other live material in this series (the Complete Tony Williams live in Tokyo would be good) | |
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Some worthwhile stuff |
| Got this set and checked it out over the weekend. The first disc is fusion stuff with the lookout farm. I have to say it is enjoyable and it does swing in places. Bierach's grasp of harmony is indeed profound-so the moniker "the code" is entirely appropriate for him. Liebman vacillates between sounding like his own man to slavish imitations of Coltrane. I have heard so much Coltrane imitation that those passages are annoying and when Bierach goes into his McCoy Tyner style the music as whole sounds derivative and impersonal. However, there is enjoyable music here. The duets are much better, both men sound like themselves and sound good.The harmonic astuteness of both players make for interesting listening. The final contemporary disc is also good-less Coltranisms and some very busy drumming-it does fit however. I like the way the music is structured, the transitions between soloists are not always clear-which is a good thing. Overall this is a good set with some minor reservations, unless you hate f | |
Mosaic Select: Dave Liebman & Richie Beirach (MS-012)
Limited Edition: 5000 copies
3 CDs - $44.00
